As If It's Your Last (Next Gen SYOC OPEN!)
by WingsandAutumnLeaves
Summary: Past the end of this freezing and looming winter, when tomorrow comes, the bright light will shine. Because the dawn right before the sun rises is the darkest. And like that of a fresh spring day, blossoming with beauty, the world is new again. Will the next generation of ninja be able to step up to their destiny and save the day, or be stuck in an unforgiving winter of life? SYOC!
1. syoc open

**As If It's Your Last**

 **Past the end of this freezing and looming winter, when tomorrow comes, the bright light will shine. Because** **the dawn right before the sun rises is the darkest. And like that of a fresh spring day, blossoming with beauty, the world is new again.** **Living in the shadows of the great generation before them is now the least of their problems... Can these new ninjas step up to their destiny and save the day, carrying the large burden of their families? Or will they be stuck in an unforgiving winter instead of proceeding into a new spring day? Next Generation SYOC Open.**

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Hello, hello all! I've been a fan of Naruto forever, and recently I realized that there is a lack of SYOCs for this fandom, so I decided to create one myself to add to the lingering amount we have. This is a next generation fic and will revolve around the children of canon characters and new OCs alike, so feel free to create either. Though, t **his story will mainly center around genin level OCs** and their journey through life, but you aren't limited to just 11-13-year-olds, so the choice is yours here. I definitely don't claim to know everything about Naruto, so please correct me if you need to. :)

 **I won't be using the cast of Boruto for this, and instead, you all will be replacing those characters with your own**. If you have any questions about this, then please let me know! **The story will start off with most of the children being in the academy, then graduating and getting placed in their teams.** The "married couples" are canon, although, you are at liberty to change things around if you would like to, to fit your OC but I can't guarantee that it'll work with the story and I might have to edit things myself. Some of this will be a bit AU just because this is my own story and I want things to work in favor for the OCs, but I'll try to keep things as true as possible to my plot. Good luck and have fun! Let me know if you need help or have questions. This story is purely for entertainment so come up with whatever you like!

Thank you all! for reading and I hope you'll give this a shot! :) I'm working on the prologue right now and I hope to have it posted soon just so you guys can get a bit of a better idea about my writing style and story plot.

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 **Rules-**

1\. Please only submit your OC through PM only. That's the only way your OC will get accepted. And OC names need to be only Japanese, so please don't name your OC a westerner name, so nothing English. The subject of your pm should be your OC name and the story title. Example: Naruto Uzumaki - As If It's Your Last

2\. You do not have to follow or favorite, these are optional, though please try to keep up with my updates. I'd appreciate you following at least though so you don't miss anything.

3\. I only want active readers for this story, so please try to review every 2 to 3 chapters if your oc is chosen. If you skip a several chapters, I'll have to remove your OC unless you let me know beforehand.

4\. NO MARY-SUES OR GARY STUS. Try to be realistic when creating your OC. No one is perfect, so don't let your OC seem like that unless it's part of your character development/arc. And DON'T SEND ME CARBON COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL CAST!

5\. This won't be first come first serve, so please keep this in mind and try your best.

6\. You can be related to canon characters since this is a next gen, but try to be realistic about it. That goes for just about any OC, but if you have questions regarding this, then let me know.

7\. I don't want super overpowered OCs with literally no weakness. You will not be accepted if this is the case. These are children, they're young and still developing their skills so they all aren't going to be the greatest yet and that's okay. They can grow overtime.

8\. Love interests are optional, you do not have to have one, but if you decide to it can be anyone. But remember most of the OCs will be Genin level, which means they'll be around 11 to 13, so most romances won't really come into play until they're older.

 **If you guys have questions of any kind, please let me know.** **I really don't mind at all, so either comment below or shoot me a PM. I'm very happy to help!**  
 **Form is also on my profile to copy/paste.  
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OC Form

Full Name:

Nickname(s): Optional

Gender:

Sexuality:

Age (age 11 and up):

Birthdate:

Village/Affiliation:

Clan: (If any, you may also make one up or use an existing. This is optional.)

Ninja Status:

Kekkei Genkai: (Optional, only for those in clans.)

Nature Type: (Maximum of two)

Appearance (eye color, hair color, style, weight, height, skin, face shape, body type, etc. Please be detailed! Also, make sure to include where they wear their forehead protector. You may also describe what they may look like as an older teen if you'd like.):

Markings (Include any piercings, defining scars, and etc.):

Clothing & Accessories (Include school clothing, casual, formal, sleepwear, etc.):

Personality (Please be very descriptive. This is where you break down and explain/elaborate on what your oc is like, what makes them tick, their actions, etc. Include whatever you would like here but please include at least a minimum of 12 sentences or more.):

Tools/Weapons/Equipment: (Include anything they may have on their person, such a knives, etc.)

Strengths: (This may include anything. You could use skills as strengths, such as physical abilities, or you could use something mental, like conversing, etc.)

Weaknesses:

Fears:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Hobbies:

Quirks: (Optional)

Goal: (This is your overall goal in the story, you may have more than one, or not even one at all. This is optional and it can be anything at all.)

Place of Residence/Housing (Describe where your character lives and the location, as well as a brief description of their room):

Family (Can be related to canon characters. I need a brief explanation of each family member and their interactions/closeness with your oc):

History/Backstory (Include everything important that has happened to your OC, their home life, etc.):

Jutsu list: (You may add to this list as you go. Keep in mind that these are young Genin to begin with so they won't know everything, however, as they age they will learn more. You may include the ones they learn in the future as well, but make a note of those. You don't have to add Substitution or Transformation since those are beginners jutsu. You may also include a signature jutsu that they might be known for.)

Ratings- (1 being the worst and 5 being the best. Please don't go over 42 points total if you're a genin, though you may have more if you're older. If you have 5 out of 5 in every category I will not accept your oc. Be realistic here)  
\- Taijutsu:  
\- Ninjutsu:  
\- Genjutsu:  
\- Stamina  
\- Intelligence  
\- Strength  
\- Speed  
\- Strategy  
\- Hand Seals  
\- Agility:  
\- Adaptability:  
\- Teamwork:  
-end of ratings-

Fighting Style:

Friends (who would they get along with?):

Enemies (what characters would they not like?):

Love interest: (Yes or no? And if so, what type of character do you see your oc with? If the answer is yes, make sure to include how your OC acts around their love interest.)

Are you okay with character death?:

Quotes (Optional):

Story ideas (Optional)

Anything else I need to know?:


	2. Character List (Still adding Ocs!)

Hi again everyone! Thank you all to the ones who took the time to submit an OC, I'm so thankful! I've gotten a ton of wonderful characters, and it's going to be really hard choosing only a few of you. So please bear with me on this tough decision. Those of you who don't make it as a main character, I'll try to fit you in as side characters if I can, but remember, this will be a large cast because it's Naruto, so the side characters might not get much screentime. I'm very sorry, but It would be very difficult for me to choose every single OC even if I wanted to.

 **I'll be posting/adding to a list on this page of the final main characters, but like I said, this list isn't completely final yet because I still have several OCs to go over. This SYOC is still open for those of you who would still like to submit an OC** , so please try to get them in soon!

 **IMPORTANT :** After a lot of thought, I've decided to let you guys tell me what you would like for me to do. I can add in a few of the original canon kids from Boruto, or we can just leave them out entirely. Also, I would like you guys to decide whether you would like for me to put everyone on a team, or if you would like to vote on the teams. It's completely your choices but let me know via PM or review! Thank you! :)

 **Things to vote on** : 1.) Do you want the Boruto Canon Kids in the story? 2.) Do you want me to pick the teams, or do you all want to vote who goes where?

 **I have decided that I'll be picking 12 Leaf Village genin total, so that gives us four teams to work with. However, I'm always open for senseis, etc. I'm also open to a few genin or chunin, etc from other villages, so you can definitely submit for that as well, or even villains. **

**I'm currently editing the prologue, but it's almost ready to post. I'll have it posted today at the earliest and Tuesday at the latest.**

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 **Accepted Genin OCs (12/12):**

Mao Uzumaki - female - _AnonChan1_

Daichi Uzumaki - male - _Psyman21_

Kai Akagawa - female - _mnmdancin12_

Mirai Hyūga - male - _The Saiyan Sage_

Hikaru Fuyu - male - _Illusionary Phantom_

Akira Uchiha - male - _Liquidation_

Seiko Yuki - male - _Mystique Monroe_

Kohaku Tsumiki - female - _KananMari  
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Mei Dorachi - female - _JackHammerMan  
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_Dai Nesuto - female - _CrimeSheTyped_

Seishin Akaihi - female - _Outcast001_

Sora Matsui - male - _TheDreamSketchCrew  
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 **Senseis:**

Shizenza Fantomu - male - _Elvendarkness  
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	3. Prologue: Ice Playing With Fire

Hi again everyone! Thank you all to the ones who took the time to submit an OC, I'm so thankful! I've gotten a ton of wonderful characters and it was honestly really hard choosing only a few of you. I seriously had the most difficult time doing so, believe me. I wish I could've accepted everyone, but sadly then the story would be too difficult to write.

Seriously, thank you all who have participated and I'll try to use every OC sent to me in some form or fashion if I can.

So onto the prologue! I worked really hard to make this decent lol, so I hope I managed to do so. I'm very sorry if it's somewhat disappointing, I tried to get it finished ASAP so there might be a few mistakes here and there but I hope it's decent at least. This will give you a bit of an idea for my writing style and just barely a glimpse into the plot because it's way bigger than just this lol. The first chapter will definitely be a bit better and maybe somewhat lighter. **I want you guys to tell me something though, do you want me to continue writing the chapters in 3rd person or alternate POVs in 1st? Let me know your thoughts below if you don't mind!**

For the first chapter, you'll be introduced to our lovely main characters, or at least a few, at the academy. Like I messaged everyone about, Outcast and I have chosen the teams though we won't be giving them away just quite yet.

 **Sensei's** : Outcast and I haven't finished selecting the Sensei's yet, so please have patience here. We've both been extremely busy, but we're trying our best to get those all chosen very soon. We had more sent in than we expected so picking about five or so is very difficult.

 **IMPORTANT:** Please remember to stay active if you're chosen! You don't have to comment every single chapter but try to comment at least every 2-3 chapters! Just because your character is on the final list, doesn't mean you will stay there if you don't participate. I will remove OCs from the story if their creators randomly leave so, please start commenting if you haven't and try to keep up with updates. We have a lot to cover honestly, and your activity is very important to me. You guys are the foundation of this story, and we'll try our best not to disappoint you.

 **Chapter Word Count:** 5,314

 **Rating** : T for language, violence, and death. Ratings may go up in future chapters.

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 **As If It's Your Last**

 **Prologue:**

 **Ice Playing With Fire**

A freezing winter, looming and wild, circling and suffocating with uncertainty. The cool breeze of air- a biting temperature and thick, pressed down on his lungs and painted his cheeks a faint pink, took his breath away. His stolen breath would float up around him, swirling and marking the crisp air in wisps of translucent. He wondered whether the brisk wind would take his troubles away as well, or just blow them around again.

The whole world seems still, unmoving and unwilling to turn, tucked away in a blanket of hardening unforgiving white. Dove white, soft and unmarred, that held the illusion of purity. Like a small flower, sweet, untouched and innocent, barely peeking its head over the winter's coat it wore, but it slowly withered away with the fall of snowflakes and died-due to this so called white purity. It wasn't pure, it was a killing machine in disguise. A cold, merciless murderer that didn't hold morals or was capable of remorse. Only the constant dark, lonely skies were ever present.

Everything was frozen, cold-immobile and frosted over. However, much to his fascination and awestruck wonder children still frolicked and played, blissfully unassuming of their surroundings and adults still went on about their days just as naively as the children. They were all just unaware. How they couldn't sense the looming winter presences was beyond him. Not that he wasn't surprised, but it still left him in awe of how unaffected Konoha was.

That's what Konoha had resulted to, not a real, literal winter. Actually, it was late summer, the trees still lined with green leaves, the soft grass remained green, with bright blue skies without a cloud in sight, nearing autumn. No, just a figurative winter, yet it felt so real. It wasn't like the season, you couldn't see it, but you knew it was there. You could feel it in your bones, sense it coming in the air because things were still, pleasant even, nothing really happened anymore. Everything was looking up, and that was precisely the problem because Naruto wasn't stupid. He wasn't dimwitted in the slightest.

Okay, _fine you jerk_ , he might be a bit slow sometimes, but he wasn't dumb damnit! Hey! _Why you little-Don't give me that look!_ For if he were, he wouldn't be the Seventh Hokage, thank you very much. They don't normally let dumb people do that, now do they?

Well, that could be debatable.

The point was, things seemed too still, and it was suspicious. He wasn't one of those pessimistic people who thought the worst of every situation, like a certain lazy, ponytail wearing, goateed face genius brunette that he was so fond of. Definitely not, Naruto wasn't like his childhood friend Shikamaru in this sense, but he wasn't blind either.

Konoha had been too passive lately, something Naruto wouldn't have ever thought he would worry about in his entire life. Hell, most people hoped things would stay so neutral and sleepy. Normal people wanted this easy slumbering life, so they didn't have to fret, they could go about their simple lives, a daily routine in and out, get married, have children, then die. He did that too. The blonde man had a gorgeous, caring and perfect wife who doted on him hand and foot, supporting him every step of his journey through life until even now as the leader of the Leaf Village. She was everything to him, kind, warm hearted and genuine and he didn't know how in the world he ended up with her. What with him being the energetic knucklehead ninja and all that crap, he wouldn't have even thought that she would even pay him the time of day. It came as such a surprise that she liked him. How did this happen? It's not like she was obvious about it! I mean, she had been pretty secretive! How was he supposed to know? The two even gave birth to his second pride and joy, his beautiful and smart, well-behaved angel of a daughter. However, after six years of raising her, they also followed up with a son, just half her age.

He knew he was lucky to have these three wonderful people in his life, but he didn't just stop there. He couldn't. That wasn't Naruto. He couldn't just settle down and stay at home, working a mediocre job and spending the nights huddled up by a fire with his wife at his side and his son and daughter in his arms. That would be nice, that was a lovely fantasy he dwelled on sometimes when work became too much, and the pressure got to him, but that's what it was, a happy fantasy. Hinata and Mao understood his ambitions and duties and were fully aware he couldn't live a simple life. No, that choice was made for him years ago as just a mere infant. He wouldn't have the option to go through life unnoticed. It wasn't in his blood, his body, to sit by and watch from the sidelines, he was Naruto Uzumaki, after all. That's why he was here, wasn't it?

That's why he was sitting behind his wooden desk, high up in the window covered, cluttered Hokage office. His knickknacks scattered throughout the room and on the walls, a little nameplate that his daughter had made him stood proudly at the front of his desk. Overall, the room was stuffed, but surprisingly neat, for one Naruto Uzumaki. However, that was only because a bristling, sweet little raven-haired woman would carefully suggest (force) to keep it clean.

Naruto leaned back into the padded squishy, onyx rolly-chair that was turned towards the numerous windows to stare down at the quiet, homey village below as civilians bustled about, smiling and talking with one another like everything was fine.

He watched the leaves sluggishly fall from the trees, the gentle breeze that swept through the city, as a small group of children chased after a ball at breakneck speed as it rolled along a dirt street their overjoyed faces alight with laughter. A bellowing whistle of a train sounded from a distance to linger in the air over the bustling city. The Hidden Leaf Village was definitely turning more and more modern now, it was almost like seeing a glimpse of the future. The dirt streets that once paved this city were now turning to cement and concrete. New and old buildings were now closer to skyscrapers, and almost every home was situated on top of one another, crowding as much as they can to fit into the remaining spots of Konoha. It had grown, that's for sure. But it was thriving, the city itself was doing so well, and he was the definition of proud.

The sense of nostalgia was almost overwhelming as it holed up, nestling into his chest, seeping warmth through his veins as a lazy smile tugged over his tanned, scarred face. The faint pale lines of whisker-like scars tinge a light pink, causing them to stand out more prominently against his features.

His gaze trailed after a young couple, their hands grazing the back of one another's fingers as they walked side-by-side towards the center of the city. An elderly shopkeeper ceased his sweeping, clutching his broom in one hand as another waved to the boy and girl who grinned and waved back. God, sometimes he missed the easier times, the feeling of just being a kid again. Growing up was crap, he knew that now but kids would never understand this until it was too late. But now, as an adult, he would protect those innocent children so they could have the best childhood one could want. This was his domain, his land and it meant everything to him. He was in charge here; he was the head of the household-the village.

Naruto pushed back from the window just a fraction enough to tilt his head towards the lingering presence in the corner. Naruto's eyes glanced for a moment towards a small picture frame placed on top of one of the five filing cabinets lining the back wall of his office. The frame was simple, just a rich cherry-wood inch around a small picture of four people and a baby. The shining sun beat down on the two adults that faced away from the camera, their backs being shown in the shot and their attention both turned to the two small children, all four of them barefoot and standing in healthy green grass.

A little girl with her dark hair pulled into a small black bundle of a bun stood next to Naruto, a purple kimono, identical to the other woman's in the picture, wrapped around her lithe frame and her small right hand engulfed in the much larger, tanned one of her father. Naruto's usual grin was absent, and a softer, sweeter smile was left in its place as his blue eyes stared directly at the tiny girl's slight pout. His hair, for once, was actually decently flattened, however, per usual, he wore a bright orange jumpsuit.

The little girl's left hand was held by a slightly bigger boy, his wild flaming red hair was a mess atop his head, the spikes mused to stick out in every direction, but his wide grin noticeable even miles away could rival the blonde man. He wore a blue tank top and black shorts, and his eyes were squeezed shut with the sheer force of his grin. Next to him stood a slim, beautiful woman with dark hair falling like rain over her narrow shoulders. Dark bangs hung low on her forehead, creating a bright contrast between her pale skin and equally pale, milky eyes. A gentle content smile was present on her soft, lovely face, as her hand reached out mid-shot, to card through the red headed boy's hair. Her other arm was occupied with a bundled up little chubby cheek, blonde haired, bouncing baby boy, clinging with his small arms to her kimono sleeve. They had this same picture at home, but blown up and hung on a wall in the living room.

The muscles in Naruto's cheeks moved as his lips turned upwards with a smile. God, this made his heart thump happily in his chest, like some proud mother. When had he turned into such a sap? He couldn't deny the unyielding wave of protection that washed over him everytime he even so much as glanced in the direction of the picture frame. This was more than a picture, it reminded him of who he was, what he fought for. That was his family, his wife, his daughter, his son, and his younger cousin, they had to be safe, and he was the one to do it.

But the gnawing at the back of his mind was going to be the death of him. This was too easy, unnervingly kind of stillness made him worry about his family, the village and their future. Why were things so still? Was something about to hit them? What was coming? There were tell-tale signs of danger on the horizon and Naruto wasn't going to ignore it, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the source. He knew it was there, sure, of course, he did, but knowing and seeing are two different things entirely.

"Hokage- Hokage sir!"

The blonde haired man's ears perked up at the panicked lit muffled by the walls of his office, and his body jerked up in shock. He swiveled his chair around to face the front of the room, elbows inches from colliding with the mixed piles of files and paper work crowding his desk that he had yet to even start working on.

Well, this was what he had been waiting for, wasn't it?

His whole being reacted to the words, to the unabashed emotion flowing from the baritone of an unknown person. His eyes snapped over to the source of the soft echoing click, a sure indication of the towering neutral toned door being opened and his heart stopped in worry. For a split second, he held his breath as the frame revealed a group of Shinobi who briskly rushed inside, the last one pulling one of the handles of the door behind him, shutting out the rest of the world from what would undoubtedly be a private conversation with their haste.

This was it, this was the facade breaking. This was the moment of truth, the calm before the storm was crumbling before him. The cold winter was reigning, was gripping his heart with fear of the unknown. Even though he predicted something, it didn't make things any easier.

Naruto noted the frantic lines on their faces, as his gaze swept over their rumpled forms. There were four Shinobi, all men of young age and strong physiques. Two brunettes, a blonde and a redhead, ranging in height and weight but all wearing familiar identical army green vests and darkening looks. He couldn't quite place their names to the faces, but he recognized them from years of service to Konoha. He noted automatically the state of their tattered uniforms, his blue eyes sweeping their bodies beaten and bloody, a few spots of mud soaking their sandals and forms. It was obvious they had just come from a fight, straight over to him without a seconds delay, so this must be serious. They were all staring at him with wide, unwavering eyes, straight through him to his core, like they could see his soul and he couldn't swallow down the sick feeling inside of him. Naruto laid his arms on the fraction of visuable surface of his wooden desk on the only empty space between the towering papers. His hands moving to grasp his elbows and squeezed with anxiety, anything to keep him grounded enough to listen to what they had to say. What the hell happened?

"What happened? Are you all alright?" Naruto finally breathed, his head feeling light as his chest burned with the lack of oxygen intake. He had sounded weak, nervous even, his voice wavering with uncertainty and for the first time, he wasn't even embarrassed. His mouth opened and closed for a second in shock as he gathered his wits and decided against speaking again, not trusting himself to fully be able to make a coherent sentence.

The four men all seemed to break out of their spell, each sharing a look before the redhead, the one who seemed to have the least amount of injuries shakily spoke up, alternating between clenching and unclenching his fists into his sides. He was about medium height and build, with freckles sprinkled across his nose and littering his cheeks that were flushed, discolored a sickly pale. His amber eyes weren't any better as they met Naruto's livid blue dead on with horror swirling in the deep color taking Naruto back. He looked like he had seen a ghost, like he might collapse over at any moment, and Naruto's frown deepened on his own face out of concern. The man looked shaken up beyond measure, causing the sick feeling in the pit of the blonde's stomach to just get worse.

"Lord Hokage, we're sorry to burst into your office unannounced, but we have an issue…" The shaggy haired man trailed off as he bowed his head in apology, his comrades quickly following suit.

However, when the redhead craned his neck, he seemed to stumble a bit on his feet, causing Naruto's stomach to lurch. Please don't pass out! These poor men, what have they seen? Naruto moved at the speed of light, shooting out of his chair to extend his legs and bring him into a standing position to reach for the other, but didn't quite make it as the brunette next to him had the same idea and instead shot a hand out to steady the redhead. Naruto exhaled out of his nose in relief, thank god someone caught the poor man. He bent his legs again, letting his back hit the cushions of the chair as he set back down. The nerves in his stomach were rising with the passing seconds that the men kept him in the dark.

With a wave of Naruto's hand, the men all lifted their heads and respectfully waited in silence as Naruto begrudgingly ushered them on, ignoring the pit of dread that settled over him. What is it? Get on with it! Get it out in the open. I need to know.

"Don't apologize, I understand. Please do continue,"

Naruto's blinked at the other brunette when the younger cautiously stepped forward. He, Naruto noted, was the one who had come in last and shut the door. He was tall and lean, with an even gaze and fierce green eyes. His lip was busted, and a long gash was slowly leaking a red substance that could only be blood from his bicep down to his elbow. His forehead protected was tied around his other bicep, and his long locks were pulled back into a neat ponytail. Despite his strong, guarded gaze, Naruto could see that he was exhausted and probably low on chakra. Having been at the same scene as the redhead, this man didn't seem nearly as affected, but Naruto could tell that with years of experience, he clung to an expressionless mask to shield his emotions.

"Hokage, we have found something while scouting the Forest of Death that you probably would want to immediately take action against."

The group watched in fascination as Naruto's eyes slowly darkened, turning from the light, blinding and vibrant blue to a steely storm raging in circular orbs. This wouldn't be the first or the last time that the Forest of Death caused problems, but for this group to come back looking so roughed up and perturbed meant that this was probably in an entirely different category. Whatever was going on wasn't good, wasn't good at all.

The stress was getting to him, and Naruto couldn't stop himself from shutting his eyes as the husky voice echoed around the expanse of his room, filling his ears with the terrible tale.

"Bodies were found littering the forest floor. Not just any bodies, bodies of ninja, genin and jounin alike. There aren't too many, but there's still a noticeable amount, and any casualty is dreadful in general. We fought our way to them after intercepting a group of rogue ninjas, but we don't believe the ninjas had anything to do with this. It seemed more of a wrong place, wrong time ordeal meant to throw us off. The situation seemed very skeptical. For it to not only be Leaf Village nin but also Water is noteworthy."

Naruto's eyes snapped open as his breath caught in his throat, his wild gaze flying to the hard face in disbelief. What? This had to be an accident! Probably some sick joke or a bunch of young genin pranking one another to enter the forest and it turned into a devastating accident. But...That wouldn't explain why Water nin were also there… What was going on? Why were so many bodies in the forest?

This couldn't be real, this was a sick joke.

Over the course of the several years that Naruto had been Hokage, nothing made him more nauseous than the thought of innocent people murdered, innocent children losing their lives for some demented ninjas. To this day, he still couldn't stomach the idea. If that made him weak then so be it, he was human, after all, he had a heart. He couldn't stand the thought of death in general. It was so final, so unfair.

Subconsciously, sharp pearly white teeth flashed in the fluorescent overhead lights of the office room as Naruto bit his lip in frustration.

"Are you sure this isn't some horrible accident? What makes you assume there's something more going on? Isn't it a little strange that the bodies all have their forehead protectors on?" Naruto hoarsely bit out, but damn, he knew that was a stupid question. It was obvious, wasn't it? But it couldn't be true… He had to make sure, had to know all of the possible outcomes. It seemed like an accident for them to all have their forehead protectors still in tact, but it seemed like it was far beyond that.

He leaned back in his chair, disguising his shaking hand by running it through his choppy bright strands while his heart hammered against his chest in worry. Suddenly the room became overwhelmingly warm, almost suffocating him. His body heated up quickly, his skin perspiring and hot to the touch. The loose, comfortable material of the orange sweatshirt he had pulled on this morning before he left home now clung to him, raising his temperature and seemingly trapping him in this horrible heat. His teeth found the raw flesh of his lip again, nibbling away at the innocent skin.

For anything to happen to any member of Konoha was like something happening to his family. These were his people, and his job was to protect them with his life, which he vowed to do long ago and to know that he failed, letting innocent lives fall right under his nose was devastating. He felt sick as his gut twisted and turned, flopping over uncomfortably and squeezing the life out of him as he waited with bated breath for the inevitable.

His worst fears were answered with a small barely audible voice of the other brunette who seemed just as uncomfortable as Naruto. He wouldn't meet the confused gaze of the blonde, avoiding eye contact all together as he stared past Naruto and out one of the back windows.

"Yes sir, we're sure. The bodies seem to be from different villages, most, if not all, that we saw had forehead protectors signifying their homes, stretching even further than our borders. That can only mean one thing…. We also recognize a few younger genin fresh out of the academy.."

Suddenly a tangy coppery taste filled his mouth making him jump in surprise as the liquid poured from his split bottom lip. Wha-? Naruto lifted a tanned hand and wiped his palm over his face and then rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip. He pulled his hand back, stare focused on the red substance staining his thumb. Blood, of course, but the sight made him even more nauseous as his stomach tensed up. The blonde's pink tongue swiped over the wound, and he held down a grimace at the taste. He quickly whipped his hands on the breathable fabric of his black trousers, watching it almost disappear in wonder.

Blood. Thick, sticky, wet, coppery staining liquid- liquid he never minded before. He always brushed off the sight of it, ignoring it all together, or even just grinning when it appeared. It was just an expected result of battle. If you fought hard enough, then you would most likely see it. He had his fair share of moments with the substance, but now it made him sick. The smell, the sight, the taste, everything made him want to empty the contents of his stomach in the trash can next to his desk. The poor people who laid lifeless on the forest floor were probably covered in it, and their bloodshed was his fault for not paying enough attention to what was going on. For not yielding to the signs of something coming.

The frozen winter of Konoha was looming on, hanging over the village now with its cold clutches infiltrating the people to make its presence known. It wasn't a quiet presence any longer. Just as Naruto had feared, the spell was now broken. Despite this, his heart was screaming no, this couldn't be true. None of this was right. He was restless, felt hopelessly unsettled and determined all at the same time.

His eyes flickered over to the only other blonde in the room, as he spoke, his words eating away at Naruto's insides as horrifying mental images flashed through his mind. Faces, countless faces of his family, his friends, comrades, and acquaintances smiling and laughing down at Naruto, all swirling into a big mess of destruction.

"We think that someone is trying to cover up the deaths by placing the bodies in the forest and pretending like they were killed by a creature, rather than murdered. There are too many bodies to account for, and since we just discovered the dumping grounds, we aren't sure of the causes of death. I think we should send the bodies to the medical nins to examine them for further information, but it seems to me that they're all in several different stages of decomp. So clearly, they all weren't killed at the same time. We don't know why the murderer or murderers left the forehead protectors though."

The silence that followed the blonde's speech left a hole in Naruto's heart, and his mind lulled over with frantic thoughts. This city was no longer safe. His people, his friends, his family, were being targeted, but by whom-he didn't know. But you can sure as hell bet he'll find out. Believe it. No, he wouldn't fail the village again. He was the Hokage, they looked to him in their times of need for guidance and protection, and he would supply just that. This whole realization lit a raging fire within him, pissed him off beyond reason, coursing through his veins and fueling his need to hit something. His head throbbed in his skull, pounding relentlessly with the promise to never stop. He needed to wring someone's neck, to name a culprit and make them suffer for what they had done. This deed would not go unpunished. If it was the last thing he did, he would find this person. But, just how did this all go unnoticed? For so many bodies to go missing yet no one reported or noticed a single thing… That was suspicious. It didn't sit right with the blonde, not one bit.

"So, sounds to me like someone is targeting ninjas for some reason. I might be wrong, but it's a bit obvious from what you told me that that's a likely scenario. How didn't we notice this before? Did anyone know ninjas were going missing? It's a bit unlikely that no one would notice. No one reported anything to me about it, but I'll check in the files for missing persons. That might help us find out the identity of the..Um, bodies.." But why would they leave the protectors? A deep voice hissed in his head. Naruto paused as he scanned over their attentive faces once more trying to hide the flush of his cheeks by giving a humble nod of his head as he continued, "Thank you all for your information. I have several more questions, but they can be answered in time. Please keep this to yourself until I take the steps that we need to protect the village. Call all shinobi, minus genins, to a meeting that will take place later today. I'll get on informing the medical nin to head that way and start the examination process. I'll call the ANBU to escort them on their journey. You all take the time to get looked over as well, alright? Take care of yourselves. Thanks again for your good work, you're dismissed."

"Yes sir, Hokage, thank you!" The four men deeply bowed, their expressions lit up with the utmost respect, and it seemed a weight was lifted from their once heavy shoulders. Naruto silently watched them file out of the door, leaving him alone once more in his office, with nothing more for company than his thoughts.

He was pissed off. Well, that was the understatement of the century. Angry flooded his veins and sight, making him see red at the mere thought. How did this happen? Actually, how could this happen? Nothing made any sense. So there were bodies, lots and lots of them… All dumped into the forest like trash, all with their forehead protectors on, labeling them and connecting them to their villages, their homes. That doesn't make any sense. If it were a murderer, wouldn't they try to strip the victim of everything before dumping the body? Why would they leave them?

The blonde man groaned aloud in frustration, the rough sound echoing back into his ears as he tilted his head to the side as his eyes found the marred face of the third Hokage staring straight back at him with blank rocky eyes, through the glass of his windows. How did they do it? How did they manage this? It seemed they always knew what to do without question, like the right thing just came to them. How? Would he be like this one day?

He quietly let everything sink in, let the information process over and over in his head as his eyes trailed between the carvings of the great men and woman before him. Damnit, get yourself together Uzumaki! We have to figure this out! There's so much yet to be done, there isn't any time to waste.

With a sigh, he shot his hands out, maneuvering for the telephone that set on the corner of his desk beside the black screen computer monitor. He was careful not to knock off the keyboard or the growing piles of paperwork as he subconsciously dialed a familiar number and held the receiver up to his ear. When a faint voice was heard on the other end of the line, a small, tired smile curved onto his face.

"Hinata, I won't be home until late tonight so please don't worry about me. Some urgent business came up that I have to attend to. I'll see you tonight. Make sure Mao doesn't stay out too late. I'm sorry I can't make it to dinner. I love you, stay safe." His heart picked up speed in his chest at the airy, feminine voice that filled his ears and with another, "I love you," he placed the device back down, abruptly ending the call.

Naruto propped his elbows up on the wooden surface and finally let his head fall into his palms with exhaustion, ignoring the few stray papers and notes that flew to the floor. He cradled his aching skull in the rough and callused tanned hands and let his eyes slip shut on their own accord while his thoughts drifted south. He wished he didn't know. He wished that he hadn't of felt this darkness creeping up on the village, but he couldn't deny it now. It was here watching and waiting, preying on the innocent people of the Leaf Village and he wasn't going to sit by and watch them burn down in flames. He had to figure all of this out and ease the minds of the city.

God, his eyes already felt so heavy and his shoulders sagged with the weight of anxiety. How could this be? What sick bastard decided to pull this?

But wait. His head shot up so quickly his head looked like a blur of yellow as his heart pounded in his chest, his eyes frantically wide and unseeing as the words twisted in his mind.

 _What if they left the forehead protectors on purpose? What if they're taunting us? Just who is this person? -Or, what are they?_

 **00000**


	4. Chapter One Preview

My god, I'm so sorry you guys! I know I'm the worst author ever with how long it has taken me to post anything, but I swear I'm here. I seriously am so grateful to everyone who is interested in this and still supporting us. I've been having a hard time lately, which I know isn't a good excuse for my lateness but it's the truth. I was sick with the flu, which led to me getting behind in college and work so I had to make up for all of that and then have had a series of extremely busy weeks full of ridiculous amounts of work and homework. I want you all to know that Outcast and I are still here and we honestly are trying to get this chapter finished up because it's literally more than 19 pages long on google docs and it's only HALF finished. So to make up for being gone (which I promise will never happen again unless something awful happens), I decided to post a little preview to keep you guys interested and also serve as a promise for the first chapter.

So no, we have not given this up, and we plan to post a TON. We have so much prepared for this, and I'm really excited to get everything posted to you guys. We're currently cleaning up the first half of chapter one, so we can post that and then we'll finish up the second and post it separately as two parts because of length. We will have all of the teams assigned in the second half of the chapter, so be prepared for that. That is also when we will be giving you all a link to the Google Sheets page with all of the individual and team stats so you can have a better idea on why we paired people up with who. If you have any questions about our choices or comments you'd like to share, please either comment in a review or PM us! We would love to hear what you have to say and explain ourselves lol. Seriously, thank you all who have participated and continue to follow this story. Please be prepared for an extremely long chapter because it will be ridiculous in length... XD

 **Again, For the first part of chapter one, you'll be introduced to our lovely main characters, or at least a few, at the academy, then in the second part, we will introduce all team assignments.**

 **Also, I'm working on either 1) drawing all of the OCs, or 2) coloring/digitally editing pictures that you guys send me to fit the OCs so we have some visuals. I'm pretty hyped about it honestly lol. So if you guys have a "character picture" that you would like to send me for me to edit or draw to fit your specifications I can definitely do that. If you'd like to draw your own OC or submit some digital artwork then please do so! I'm thinking of starting a Tumblr or something dedicated to this SYOC so we can post things there for it.**

 **Now here is our lovely Outcast's OC, Seishin! Please show your love for the intimidating and 'done with everyone's shit/life in general'** **Akaihi clan ninja, our first of many! :)**

 **Sensei's** : Outcast and I have chosen the Sensei's however, we haven't had the time to message everyone back yet so please be patient, we're so sorry, and we'll be PMing you all soon!

 **IMPORTANT:** Please remember to stay active if you're chosen! You don't have to comment every single chapter but try to comment at least every 2-3 chapters! Just because your character is on the final list, doesn't mean you will stay there if you don't participate. I will remove OCs from the story if their creators randomly leave so, please start commenting if you haven't and try to keep up with updates. We have a lot to cover honestly, and your activity is very important to me. You guys are the foundation of this story, and we'll try our best not to disappoint you.

 **Chapter Word Count:** 1,344

 **Rating** : T for language, violence, and death. Ratings may go up in future chapters.

* * *

 **00000**

 **As If It's Your Last**

 **Chapter One Preview:**

The Akaihi household didn't really need an alarm clock, as Hana Akaihi would always manage to wake up at the crack of dawn to begin her matronly duties. She would shower and dress in a simple kimono with three-quarter sleeves so they didn't interfere with her work, and then she would descend into the kitchen to begin the process of making breakfast for her large family.

Like clockwork, the smell would awaken her husband, who would perform the same morning routine as his wife before moving to get the younger children ready for the Academy. Toshihiro would hear his father and be up and heading to the kitchen to help his mother by setting the table. Kaemon would wake to his brother knocking on his door as he passed and would follow the same routine as his parents before going down to get the post and newspaper from the mailbox down the path.

This would wake the triplets, who would make plenty of noise getting up and getting ready, and they would either help or hinder their father's efforts at taming the younger children into proper clothing before descending to the dining area to do the same with the rest of the household.

Botan would either let his children go downstairs half dressed to eat in the times where the triplets hindered, knowing that his wife would handle them with more chores or some odd punishment only she would think of, and he could sit back and watch them lament their self-imposed fate. He would then make sure to knock on Seishin's door and let her know it was time to get up. However, this was just like waking the beast.

Seishin, who was _not_ a morning person, would poke her head out from under the myriad of blankets and pillows, her hair a messy and somewhat extreme case of bedhead and would blink narrowed eyes at her door. Hearing the budding chaos below, the silver-haired teen would drag herself off the bed, only to land in a heap on her floor, the sudden jolt doing little to bring her to the land of the living. But, the floor was cold, and it was enough of a motivator to get her sluggish limbs to move.

Forcing her limp, lithe body to stand, she would often stumble and be forced to sit down, her eyes still mostly closed. The brown-eyed girl would yawn, and her eyes would slip shut and she would sway, nearly going back to bed, but the noise below would by then be loud enough to remind her that she had to get up. Sometimes she imagined a world where she could slip back into the warm comfort of her soft blankets and pillows, the noise level lowering to a dull little hum that could lull her back to sleep and for once, skip the blasted academy and equally annoying academy students to sleep her troubles away. But, that was all it was, a wistful dream that would only linger in the corners of her mind. So, she would force herself to stand and stumble like a blind drunkard to her door, the hall, then down the stairs and towards the dining area.

That's usually when the twins or triplets do something to attract her ire, as they are the only ones crazy enough in this household to willingly attract such a dark, evil force. To which, Seishin would not reply verbally, her eyes still narrowed against the annoyingly _bright_ light of day, but would acquire vengeance in her own time. On this particular day, Seishin was coherent enough that, while her sibling were laughing and walking away from her, foolishly believing themselves safe from her retribution simply because it was morning, she slipped her hands through the signs of an illusion, making the entryway seem _slightly_ wider than it actually was.

The result? The twins bumped into the frame, stumbled inside, crashed into Kaemon who was carrying a large bowl full of batter that the triplets had stolen, which sent wet batter splattering on the walls floor and even ceiling. Nagisa was laughing so hard she slipped on the batter, knocking over her sister Natsu in the process, who ended up destabilizing a display that held a large intricate vase with a grand floral arrangement (a gift from Banto to Hana) and Nishi had to dive to save the vase, but could not save the flowers, which went flying into the air. This, in turn, startled Haruka, who had just entered, and used the practice sword he had been carrying to swing at the bundle of flowers and caused a subsequent explosion of petals, water and flower stems, and buds.

Toshihiro paused at the doorway, scanning the scene with an appreciative eye and no small amount of schadenfreude. He himself was not the biggest morning person, but he was at least humane enough not to subject his siblings to torture like his younger sister. He could, however, appreciate the wonderful scenes of beauty she could create with just a flicker of chakra and a sliver of evil intent.

"No blueberry pancakes today, then?" He would ask as Seishin passed him, completely ignoring the mess she had made, and she would perhaps give him a narrowed-eyed glance or a grunt of acknowledgment, or pass him by without a sound. She would be intent on acquiring her morning brew. Which would revive her humanity and at least give her a semblance of some kind of conscience. The family would clean up whatever mess was made, then sit down to a feast-like breakfast. Usually, by then, Seishin would be awake enough to partake in the teasing and banter and general chaos that was the Akaihi household, dodging toast and pieces of fruit thrown about when their father wasn't watching. Mother didn't mind as long as it didn't hit anything that couldn't be easily cleaned. They would share the newspaper, talk and complain, and generally have a fun time before the children had to go to the Academy, the ninja had to report to work (after, you finished your extra chores, girls) and the businessmen had to attend to business.

Seishin would return to her room, change out of her black, shooting-star patterned pajama set and into her usual attire. It was only then that Seishin realized what day it was, that she would be finding out who her team and Sensei would be.

"Oh dear _god…_ " She breathed, and then groaned as she realized just what that meant. She would probably be teamed with _idiots!_ Knowing her luck, and her track record, it will probably be someone she's put under a genjutsu, or someone who hates her. They would probably team up _against_ her, or do something to get her sent back to the academy, or make her Genin days an absolute _hell! Damn it, curse this evil hell that was the academy._

"Mum!" she called, leaning out of room, hanging by the doorframe, "I'm gonna need another cup of tea today!"

"How much do you think?" Came the reply, and Seishin frowned. Her brain still wasn't at full capacity, still too early for that crap.

"I'm getting my team today?" She phrased it as a question, unsure if that would get what she needed. The teen didn't bother arguing for coffee instead of tea, having long since accepted the fact she wouldn't be getting coffee for her morning brew for a few more years.

Funnily enough, if she had asked her mother at that particular time, she probably would have agreed to let her have coffee as her pick-me-up. Just this once.

Her mother's voice softened with pity as she called back and Seishin could just see her worried frown etching onto her pretty face at her daughter's situation.

"I'll get a thermos. Green tea?"

"With sugar, thank you!" And with that, returned to her room to prepare for her first day as an official Genin, to be placed in her team, and potentially plot the demise and/or torment of her soon-to-be-teammates.


	5. Chapter 1 Part 1: You Make Me Begin

Jesus, after a MONTH we're finally here. Good lord. Okay, so that's never happening again, you guys do not have to worry. Like I told you guys last time, I was sick with the flu a few weeks ago. Well, I was supposed to be getting better, but I ended up getting pneumonia and needing to stay in the hospital for a while. I'm back on track now, completely recovered and finished with college for the semester, so now I'm free to be on and not have to worry about work and school holding me back. I'm so sorry you guys. I haven't been able to update in that time, but now we'll have a steady stream of updates. Outcast and I finished the first part of chapter one, so we'll be posting that here and then post the second part of the chapter later on. This is literally extremely long, so please be prepared for a hella intense amount of reading. We introduce several characters here and will be presenting the rest in the second part of the chapter. So don't panic if you don't see your OC here because like I mentioned before, they will be in the next few chapters. Seriously, thank you all who have participated and continue to follow this story. We're so grateful and don't deserve your support!

Remember, if you no longer wish to have your OC involved in this, please PM me and let me know so I may replace your OC. Thank you.

Also, regarding the drawings of the OCs, I just bought a new tablet, so I'll start working on finishing the OCs with that and then post them as soon as they're ready. Thank you all for being patient! Remember you can still send me a character picture in if you'd like or let me know your specifications, or even submit your own artwork.

I'm trying to message everyone back whom I've skipped so If I haven't messaged you back yet, please PM me and I'll reply ASAP. Again, I'm so sorry for the wait and thank you guys for supporting us. It's been really tough getting this going but we're both so excited to see this story bloom. This definitely isn't the best work for a first chapter, and I'm a bit disappointed in my own writing and the rush to finish it, so please ignore that. The second part will be much better, I promise.

 **IMPORTANT:** Please remember to stay active if you're chosen! You don't have to comment every single chapter but try to comment at least every 2-3 chapters! Just because your character is on the final list, doesn't mean you will stay there if you don't participate. I will remove OCs from the story if their creators randomly leave so, please start commenting if you haven't and try to keep up with updates. We have a lot to cover honestly, and your activity is very important to me. You guys are the foundation of this story, and we'll try our best not to disappoint you.

 **Chapter Word Count:** 9,328

 **Rating** : T for language *COUGH COUGH* Sora *COUGH COUGH*, violence, and death. Ratings may go up in future chapters.

* * *

 **00000**

 **As If It's Your Last**

 **Chapter One Part One:**

 **You Make Me Begin**

With the rising of dawn, the faint soft glow of morning light poured into the Hyuuga Clan Estate, illuminating the bristling halls and pristine furniture and tapestries like a bright candle. The beautiful and elaborate structural masterpiece was all the more haunting and untouchable painted in the unworldly glow. The Hyuuga compound almost seemed innocent, just comfortably nestled into the edge of Konoha amidst the old-world traditional section of the city, not quite blending in with the rest of the smaller estates around it because of it's large and more imposing size.

Despite it being so early in the morning, servants and branch family members moved about, proceeding with their duties as they did every morning before sunrise. Dark haired young ladies carefully folded laundry gossiping quietly with one another, giggling girlishly when one of them mentioned a bit of news that was extra enticing. Elderly women went about their rounds of making the numerous beds of the main branch members at their own leisurely pace. The several selected chefs of the household were hard at work, cooking breakfast for the large, extended family in the kitchen. An array of dark haired and bright-eyed children raced about the grounds laughing wildly as they tried to escape the grasps of their mothers who were persistent in their goals to get their children dressed for the academy. This wasn't anywhere out of the ordinary, this was a normal morning at the Hyuuga estate.

However, all of this seemed lost on the two lone figures batted in the morning light on the front lawn, the crisp morning air chilling their skin and chapping their lips.

Two dark haired and light eyed males stared each other down, opalescent gaze striking and lit with determination. The soft morning breeze moved along with the long flow of dark hair, billowing softly behind them in lazy ease. The two looked almost mirror versions of one another, though one was much older and wiser, their arms risen to their sides and palms facing outwards in a posed attacking stance. The children's laughter from yards away floated through the air, however, it fell on deaf ears as their surroundings washed away in their focus. The happy sounds just a strange fuzzy background noise that couldn't bother either in the slightest.

The smaller of the two's chest rose and fell in heavy pants, his body wracking with exhausted tremors as small beads of sweat trickled down a ghostly pale forehead to the beginning of a sharp jawline. Mirai and Neji's gazes met, holding fast, milky lavender swirling with determination and a little annoyance from the youngers part. His thin pink mouth parted with deep breaths falling in his haste.

Damn, this was going badly. He was losing so easily.

Dark onyx hair whisked around to frame his thin, handsome face, falling from the tie at the end of the long strands in his struggles and getting in his eyes, much to his frustration.

It was kind of hard to ignore now the disgusting feeling of his black training t-shirt stuck to his skin coated in a thin layer of sweat to drip onto the shoe marks scraped into the dirty ground from their sparring. At this rate, he was going to have to wash this shirt three or four times before he could wear it again. And there's no way he could go to school smelling like he ran five marathons, he wasn't an animal for god's sake.

Exhaustion was peaking at the corners of his mind, whispering it's call that he bluntly ignored. Mirai didn't want to feel so weak, so lame compared to his great father who, Mirai noted with narrowed eyes, was barely breaking a sweat.

He couldn't deny the familiar warmth from his chakra levels were turning a bitter cold as the wind, and he could feel them beginning to weaken, but he wouldn't give in just like that, he still held steady to his pose. Even though his limbs were screaming at him to sit still for god's sake, he was moving, pushing past his limits to the maximum. If he wanted to be great, he'd have to try harder. He'd have to think quicker; he would have to move faster. He had to do more.

At this moment he felt a thrill, he felt a strong sense of rush that he couldn't contain and he needed this feeling. The rush from the movements was almost soothing, the burn he felt in his muscles was a familiarity that brought a sense of comfort and accomplishment. He didn't have to think about this; he didn't have to process why this was happening, it just did naturally. It was more satisfying than anything could be.

Neji Hyuuga snapped up from his position, breaking the facade of attack to stand instead to tower over the younger in a more comfortable stance. He crossed his arms over the loose white button up that clung to his pale, toned torso, his opalescent eyes trained on the smaller version of himself as a small smile curved onto his face, almost hidden behind chocolate locks.

If the determined grit of his teeth and crease of the boy's eyebrows were anything to go by, Mirai wasn't giving up. He could almost see the gears turning in his protege's mind, trying to quickly put together a plan to beat Neji and overturn their match.

Mirai's gaze was firm, unwavering and unafraid. However, it held a tranquil calmness, like that of a crashing stormy sea. The boy wasn't scared to fight, and he wasn't bent on winning, he could lose gracefully now, only if he had learned something new, only if he tried his very best would he accept defeat. Honestly, that thought alone always brought a smile to Neji's face, the kid was doing so well. He just hoped he wouldn't ruin it by opening his sarcastic mouth.

"You're improving drastically. Your training is starting to show for itself. At this rate, you'll be named rookie of the year at the academy," Neji spoke with an even tone, his lavender gaze crinkling at the corners with a proud gleam only that of a father figure could have.

He watched as the smaller boy casually stretched, dropping the defensive stance from before to lazily rub his right shoulder in a pale palm. He might've been covered head to toe in sweat but that only made Neji more proud of him.

Mirai was doing very well in his lessons, both at the academy and within the clan. The younger boy reminded him distinctively of himself. The likeness the two shared apart from just their looks was undeniable. Neji had long again accepted this.

The eleven-year-old was also a member of the Hyuuga branch family. However, he held more promise than most of the Hyuuga clan children his age, also like he himself had when he was a boy. The child was the new Hyuuga focus, that was obvious.

His parents had passed away years ago, leaving an infant Mirai Hyuuga alone without a caretaker until the Hyuuga family main branch held the debate over who would be the chosen guardian for the boy and it was Neji himself who volunteered as such, taking the liberty to adopt him as his own. The rest of the Hyuuga main branch were old and withering, and it would be an injustice to leave a child in their care at such an age. If he had then Mirai wouldn't have had the proper training that he needed or the attention that Neji scornfully lacked from his own family when he was young.

When he first laid eyes on the small infant, cradled in the arms of one of the Hyuuga elders, wrapped up in white linens with the Hyuuga symbol embroidered on the front, he hadn't been eager to take him. The heads of the household were giving a speech, telling of the horrible tragedy of this boy's parent's fate and Neji all but blanked out when they spoke the word "deceased." His attention was locked on the small, fragile little thing crying softly in the woman's grip.

A baby- a child -in his care? Could he do that? He was so small, looking like a tiny little bundle of blankets in the elderly woman's arms as she held him securely to her chest. The biggest mistake or the greatest moment of his life was when his gaze shifted to the baby's face just barely peaking out from the fabric cushioning his head.

The pale as a sheet, flawless porcelain skin, smooth looking and he imaged soft to the touch, with chubby little lightly dusted pink cheeks and a small mouth and button nose. He looked like any other baby that Neji had seen, nothing notably different, the same chubby little features but what caught his breath in his throat was the doe-like gaze of the small child.

The identical, haunting orbs that pierced his soul, that made bile rise in his throat and his heart pound relentlessly in his chest. Milky opalescent irises were bright with shining tears, innocent and alight with so much life that Neji felt physically sick.

He seemed so tiny and helpless, pitiful and lovely all at once. The baby was just that, a naive child that didn't know the horrors of the world. That laid in the arms of a distant relative as the lives of his parents no longer existed in this world. Despite being surrounded by his clan, he was alone.

He seemed so fragile and lonely, and it was like looking into a portal straight to the past. To Neji's own horror, it was him. He was looking at himself.

The beautiful irises peered curiously up at him, and Neji felt his knees threaten to give in and cause his legs to collapse on him. He grits his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright. He was a war hero, a fighter, a strong ninja who wasn't by any means gentle except for the title of his ninjutsu. But here he was, feeling helpless as his heart called out to a baby. When he echoed those words, clear as day in front of his clan, he was finished. It was too late; he loved the boy already.

He wouldn't let this child be alone; he couldn't do it. Even the idea made Neji sick, made the churning and winding of his stomach clench with suppressed emotions and feelings he hadn't dwelled on in a long time. It wasn't in him to abandon someone, and despite the boy not being his own son, Mirai held that place in his heart.

He thought of the eleven-year-old as his pride and joy, the son he always wanted. He was so proud of him; he had come so far from being a reckless and violent little boy into a level-headed, easing going young man. And Neji had come far from being a frazzled, clueless twenty-one year old father. They grew together, completed one another and Neji couldn't ask for anything more.

"Thank you, father, It's all thanks to your teaching. I wouldn't have been able to learn gentle fist style without your patience," Mirai said with sincerity, and as quickly as a fleeting thought, shot a small genuine smile at the older man before tugging up his face mask over his mouth.

Neji couldn't stop the tugging sensation that pulled at his heart as a bolt of warmth washed over him. God, this is what made it worth all of those sleepless nights, all of the struggling to find a babysitter on short notice right before a huge mission. It was worth sharing his personal life, and heart with - Mirai was worth it all.

He fondly reached a hand out and ruffled the dark locks of his son's hair, before letting his hand drop down to his side again before moving towards the stone path that leads up to the main building of the estate. Neji slowly dropped down until he was sitting on the whitewashed stones of the pathway, his eyes drifting to the spot next to him and Mirai got the hint, moving with ease to plant himself next to the older man.

"Let's ignore breakfast for now," Neji ordered, his voice a soft command, yet was something Mirai could never ignore, "So today is the big day, I presume? You finally get assigned to your team. Are you nervous?" The question rang out through the empty yard, as the sun slowly rose over the hills in the distance, making its presence known with that of the day ahead of them.

Mirai carefully leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows as his gaze followed the sunrise, taking in the beautiful warm reds and oranges that lay splattered across the sky like a painting. Was he nervous? No, not really. He hadn't been nervous in a while. There wasn't really a reason to be anxious over the inevitable, he believed, but he was curious. He couldn't deny that fact; he wanted to know whom he would be paired up with. He was graduating from the academy with a large class, so honestly, anyone could be chosen to be with him, and he wouldn't have a clue. It was fair game at this point. If he was lucky, maybe it would be a friend or two, but when it came to Shino's academy class, it seemed like he had it out for all of them.

From what he had gathered over the years of watching his father and his own team, the people you were paired with usually were stuck with you for life. You never moved on from them, not unless you honest to god hated your team, though even if that was the case, you were still branded with these people for life. Neji still spoke and interacted with his group, Team Gai, and Tenten and Lee both made regular appearances in Mirai's life. He was even expected to get along with Rock Lee's strange son, Metal…. The raven-haired boy couldn't help the shivers that ran through him at the thought. Now that was true horror. Thankfully for him though, Metal Lee and his generation had graduated the academy a year before Mirai so he wouldn't have to fear being paired with the green, spandex wearing, bowl-cut hair-styled weirdo. If Rock Lee and Gai-sensei weren't bad enough, having a third springtime youth loving freak around was way too many.

"I'm not really nervous, just curious. It can't be worse than your own team, father," Mirai shot a smirk towards the older man that was shielded behind the face mask, though with Neji narrowing his own eyes at him, it was like the man could see his own expression plain as day, even without the byakugan activated.

Neji tilted his head back and gave a short, gruff and if it was possible, posh, laugh. It was an odd sound, something that seemed polite yet, from the gruffness, rarely used but he meant it. Mirai knew he had a soft spot for his team; they were some of his closest friends though one of them was treading towards a little more than friends.

"My team wasn't bad. On the contrary, we were some of the most capable and around your age had surpassed most of our competition. I know they can be a little odd, but they're my team, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Neji's gaze was now on him, his eyes meeting his own with a twinkle of something Mirai couldn't put his finger on. It was as if Neji knew some big secret that he swore never to tell. Neji held his stare for a few long seconds, his eyes searching for something that Mirai couldn't quite decipher, and Neji surprised him once again with a small curve of his lips. What was with his father smiling so much today? Was there some big joke he was keeping from him?

Mirai peered up at him with suspicion; his lavender orbs narrowed in distrust before he pushed himself up into a sitting position with his elbows, swiveling around to full on face his father.

"So you say… Though they are strange people. Speaking of which, I'm not sure what you're hiding, but I will find out," Mirai quickly pulled his legs to his chest and then moved to stand up, towering over his father who silently stared up at him.

"I must bathe and change before I head off to the academy, so if you'll excuse me, father. Thank you for training with me, I'll see you at breakfast," Mirai politely bowed, his dark strands falling in loose pin-straight waterfalls around him before he stood up and turned away from the older. Heading up the path to the estate, Neji left staring at the Konoha symbol on the back of the black shirt.

The older man lets a full-blown smile spread across his face, as his lavender gaze trailed after the younger boy. A short chuckle fell from his lips, and he shook his head, that boy had a lot to learn. He would figure it out on his own soon enough. He had a long journey ahead of him, that was for certain. Teams weren't as simple as he thought, this meant a group effort, not just Mirai thinking he can decipher everything on his own without any help. He needed someone to challenge him, stimulate the Hyuuga's mind and bring him out of his head at the same time. Your teammates were your everything, your comrades, your friends, your rocks. They were the ones you relied on more than anyone else, and for Mirai sake, he hoped the boy had two people that he could get along with and could get along with him. He didn't figure this out himself until almost too late, but he was glad that he had Lee and Tenten in his corner every step of the way. He knew Lee could be a little odd at times, but he was just the man Neji needed in his group, and hopefully, Mirai could get someone equal to him on his team as well.

 **00000**

"...Oh man, this is the greatest one yet! I swear man; this is going to be hilarious!" A low voice rumbled and echoed around her mind, sounding somewhat muted and distant, as if someone was talking through water. Her nose twitched and scrunched as the voices died down until they were no more, just a quiet lull in the background. She could deal with this; she could ignore that easily.

"You're a literal idiot. She's going to murder you. I have no sympathy for you, Saburo. You're so stupid that it honest to God hurts."

"What?! I'm not an idiot! This is a brilliant plan. You just can't appreciate art like I can. What do you think, Toshiro? Great, huh?"

"...Um, I-ah, agree with Tomo. I don't think that was a good idea… Kai is going to be very upset. You know this is the day of her team assignment…Very bad timing on your part."

"Wait- WHAT!? Team!?"

The voices, all distinctively male finally pulled together, breaking the watery, distant barrier until her frazzled, sleep-ridden brain clicked. Voices, male, yelling-hmmm...BROTHERS! Striking crimson orbs cracked open in a split second as the blonde haired girl shot straight up in bed, narrowly missing headbutting the pale forehead of her brother in front of her as he dodged last minute, swerving his head to the side. For a fleeting nanosecond, Saburo held in a laugh at the fact she resembled a vampire rising up from a coffin, but she was oh so more threatening than a fairytale creature. There was a true promise of murder shining in her blood red gaze, the worn black comforter falling around her middle and her long, wavy wheat-colored locks were practically standing on end, taking on a glint of red from her eyes. If there was one thing her brothers knew, it was Kai's anger. And boy, was she pissed.

The nineteen-year-old yelped and lurched backward in surprise, almost tumbling over the side of the bunk bed where Kai once laid, barely clinging onto the wooden railing. Kai stared straight back at him, their identical red eyes locked on one another, except one was swirling in fear while the other was a deep bloody storm of anger. He had on his ANBU uniform, black trousers, black tank top and familiar army green vest. His blonde hair was shaggy and wavy, falling into his red eyes and his jaw was rigid. For a member of the ANBU, you would think he would be a bit more capable of handling such a small girl, but for Saburo, she was his worst nightmare. All training flew out the window when her glare was on him.

The two blonde twins, Tomo and Toshiro, stood idly by, still adorned in their pajamas, their beds unmade, looking onto the scene with mixed emotions. Toshiro, the quieter and gentler of the two wearily glanced between his younger, eleven-year-old sister and his older brother Saburo, anticipating the worst. Tomo, on the other hand, with his arms crossed over his wiry chest, shook his head in disapproval but a small smirk curled across his lips at the thought of the annoying prankster getting what he deserved.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Why are you yelling? Why did you wake me up? Actually, what did you do?" Kai's voice came out in an ear piercing, glass shattering shriek. She was fuming, her thin shoulders rising and falling in a quick pace, her small nostrils flaring and her red eyes now turned to slits. No one dared disturb her from her sleep! That could only mean one thing, Saburo was pranking again.

For someone who could make a guy, eight years older than her cower and splutter like a mere child, holding such an intimidating disposition when angry, you would think her appearance would fit the part. This was the amusing part, is what Tomo and Toshiro always thought. But alas, Kai Akagawa was anything but scary looking. Well, only when she went full flip out mode, that is. The eleven-year-old was small, very wiry and petite, with minimal curves, thin arms and legs, and a very lithe build. She had a very rounded and soft-faced, with gentle features, paired off with large and expressive scarlet-colored eyes, a signature of the Akagawa clan but on her, the giant, doe eyes made her look even more precious and child-like. Her wheat-colored blonde hair was pretty, but a bit messy and she always pulled back in a wavy, high ponytail, falling to her mid back. She was also extremely short, but this was a sore spot for the blonde girl. She was at least a head shorter than the rest of her classmates, and her brothers had taken to calling her "Short Stack" as a joke, but of course, this joke would be the death of them one day because Kai was not amused. Not even in the slightest did she find any humor in that nickname. So, to see this tiny, child-like little girl glaring daggers, with her blood-colored gaze up at someone almost twice her age who looked torn between begging for mercy and laughing at her cuteness was very humorous to the twins who said nothing.

"Sis, oh dear little sister. My short stack, you're looking lovely this morning-" Saburo batted his long eyelashes at the girl with a sing-song voice, who immediately threw a hand up into his face, effectively cutting him off.

"Don't even start with me, Saburo," Kai hissed through gritted teeth, "You better pray to our ancestors that you didn't make a huge mistake or you're dead. I have a huge day at the academy, and the last thing I need is for you to mess it up."

The taller, larger boy held up his hands in surrender, nervous laugher falling from his mouth and he jumped down from the top bunk and started backing up towards the door and to safety that was just a few feet away. Almost there… Almost free! Kai's gaze was electric, following his every move with anger rolling off of her in waves. The blonde boy used his superior navigating abilities to maneuver blindly over the stray piles of clothes, books, kunai knives and shurikens on the floor, however before he could escape, he bumped into the fronts of the twins.

He quickly spun on his heels to face his younger brothers, both with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. Fear rose up in his chest and clutching his gut at the sight. Saburo could swear that this is what a trapped animal felt like. For the first time, he was the prey and his preditor, a petite, baby-faced eleven-year-old girl was ready for the kill. If he could go for the weaker one, then there's no doubt he could probably get free! But, then again, Tomo would lurch for him and if he didn't manage to catch him then Kai surely would in her fit of anger… What to do?

The decision was made for him before he could even act as the blonde girl herself yanked the comforter back and jumped down onto the wooden floor slats with bare feet. Nevermind that the wooden floor was freezing at this time of morning, the cold practically went unnoticed as heat from anger flooded her body and kept her at boiling point. Whatever this boy did couldn't be good. He did something horrible, she knew it. She could sense it in the air, could feel it around her, could see the nervous tick of his pink tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. He did something awful besides just waking her up. Today was her big day, it was important that she had plenty of rest and looked decent to make a good impression for her teammates, but now that was ruined.

"What did you do, Seburo? I'll kill you; I'll do it! You'll regret ever being born into this family you little-" Her threats died in her throat when her gaze fell on the mirror by the window at the other end of her shared room. She took in her reflection staring back at her. The same crimson eyes, long worn t-shirt of one of her brothers that fell to her knees that she usually slept in, her rounded face and pale body and her hair… The wild, waves of red that stood on end, looking more like a birds nest than hair as the strands tied themselves into knots and tangles.

This was it, Saburo thought, this was the end of his life. He had a good run while it lasted but, this was definitely it. He'd never get to finally win a date with the hot girl that lived downtown, and that was forced to work in her family's restaurant, who always ignored him when he flirted with her. He'd never get to become the greatest ANBU member ever… He wouldn't even get to visit the-

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR!?" The scream caused the three of them to flinch so hard that Saburo was honestly surprised he didn't go deaf. All three boys felt as if their ears were bleeding from the sheer volume of her yells. He made a huge mistake. There was no doubt that he would die.

With one panicked look towards the twins, they even stepped aside with a, "Just go; you won't live another day if you don't run now." Tomo sighed and shook his head as Toshiro gave Seburo one sympathetic glance, a frown on his baby-face and jutted his thumb to the door. He sprinted as quickly as was humanly possible, trying with all of his might to get away from the screams heard down the hall, unsuccessfully letting chuckles escape.

"I HAVE RED HAIR! TODAY IS MY TEAM ASSIGNMENT! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?! I'LL KILL YOU SABURO! IF MY TEAMMATES ARE HALF AS STUPID AS YOU THEN I WILL NOT MAKE IT THROUGH TODAY AND IF THAT HAPPENS, I WILL HURT YOU. YOU BETTER HOPE YOU GET VERY FAR AWAY FROM HERE BEFORE I COME AFTER YOU!"

 **00000**

A small boy sat at the center of his room; legs bent under him as he bowed his head, pale grey hair framed his face, hanging like a curtain in front of his focused gaze as he worked. The mess and clutter of his room surrounding him. A twin bed behind him was perfectly made, not even a single wrinkle in the purple and white quilt on top even though his small, thin framed body adorned an oversized white t-shirt, completely engulfing his petite torso and pale blue boxers, that were almost hidden under the large shirt, his usual pajamas. He hadn't slept a wink, not even bothering to get into bed when he had much more important things to do. The sunrise barely peaked through the blinds on his window. However, the passing of time went unnoticed by the boy.

Three different medical books lay with the pages open, scattered around him in a half circle as his purple eyes scanned over every one of them, taking in and processing the information in seconds. His small, sickly pale hands held onto a snow white baby rabbit, the tiny animal twitching and fidgeting in his hands in pain with one of its back legs twisted at an odd angle.

"Shhh, shh… It'll be okay, I promise." The boy's voice was a soothing whisper, a gentle, almost whimsical sound, very light and airy yet warming and soft and the animal seemed to sense this as it calmed it's squirming for a few minutes, just letting the innocent petting commence from the small hand.

He'd been trying and failing over and over again to heal him, but the green light would not illuminate from his inexperienced pale hands. No matter what he tried, no matter how many times he muttered the incantations and made the hand signs, nothing would happen. His gentle heart was started to beat erratically in his chest from the thought of this animal continuing to suffer. He had to succeed; he had to help him. He couldn't leave the poor thing to remain hurt. The vision of the innocent creature became a bit blurry, and Seiko gasped in surprise. When had he started crying? Why did he have to be this way? Why couldn't he just be stronger? It was almost frustrating dealing with his weak self, his emotions getting the best of him all the time. He needed to save this animal, to end it's suffering and help him heal. He couldn't just be a child and cry.

The small boy sniffled and blinked his tears away, refusing to let his weak heart get the best of him. No, this was not the time to cry Seiko, be strong this once, okay? You can do it. The mantra whispered over and over in his head, repeating until this was his only thought. The small rabbit twitched again in his grasp, moving its body in a weird thumping motion, trying to do all it could to escape but failing. He could do this, just this once, he would succeed. Seiko bobbed his head up and down in a swift, determined nod, as if to convince himself he could do this because that's all he needed to do. He just needed to convince himself, and then he could succeed.

The grey-haired boy cautiously lowered his hands and with nimble fingers, placed the creature on the floor at his bare knees. His eyes flew across the pages, memorizing the words and hand signs one last time. He stared at the illustrations and made mental notes of what and what not to do, he wouldn't mess this up, not again. His purple eyes slipped shut and his pale face noticeably relaxed, the stress lines on his forehead and crinkle between his brow softened and disappeared as his chest rose and fell with deep calming breaths and for once, he felt like he could actually heal the rabbit. Purple gaze opened wide when his own hands started to move, gracefully sliding against one another in front of him, moving as if his body had a different master. The petite pale appendages were almost dancing in the air, moving to an unspoken rhythm as he muttered under his breath the incantation he had spoken countless times before.

Finally, as if by a miracle of some unknown origin, a faint green glow engulfed his hands. A choked gasp escaped his throat as tears began to prickle behind his eyes, gathered at his tear ducts and threatening to overflow and break like a dam. His heartbeat throbbed painfully in his ribcage, but a foreign warmth seeped over his whole being taking him by complete surprise. What was this feeling? Why was his chest hurting and his body hot when he was so used to the cold? What was this?

Success. The word was a hiss in his mind, sounding so strange and out of place with the rest of his thoughts. His mouth dropped open as he blankly stared at his hands in sheer horror or fascination, he couldn't tell. No matter how many times it echoed, he still couldn't place it, couldn't comprehend it's meaning or purpose. Success? Was this true? Had he actually succeeded on his own? So many emotions washed over him, rumbling in his chest and heart, becoming almost too much to process at once. But it was the truth. He finally did something right. Out of all of the bitter defeats and failure that surrounded him his whole life, Seiko finally did something worth a million failures- he succeeded.

Seiko lurched his hands forward, pressing them against the soft, untainted fur of the rabbit's back leg and he watched with disbelief and awe as it began to heal. The faint, green glow illuminated the dark bedroom, lighting up his face and features, giving him an unearthly look and he just couldn't tear his eyes away.

A soft click resigned from his bedroom door as the knob was turned and the wood was swung open. "Seiko! Are you alright, what's happening?" A deep voice shocked the small boy into jumping, his hands quickly dropping to his sides as he turned to face the source of the voice.

A muscular form whisked towards him in a blur, and before he could even process what was going on, two pale hands roughly grasped his wrists. His grip was firm and harsh, strong enough to bruise or even snap the thin wrist but Seiko didn't flinch. No matter how tough his brother was, he didn't mean to hurt him or anyone else, he just didn't know his own strength. Two purple orbs stared down at him, watching his face for any sign of pain or discomfort before glancing down at his hands and the rabbit.

Akihiko was his older, more masculine brother, the only caretaker that the small boy had. The two looked very similar. However, Aki's pale grey hair was trimmed much shorter and more professionally and his frame was wider, with his arms bulking through his button up and legs almost seeming too thick with lean muscle for his trousers. It was almost comical at how different the two were. Aki was one of the manliest men that Seiko knew. He never once cried in front of him, or even showed much emotion or interest in anything, he always seemed cold and distant, distracted by some unknown source. He hardly acknowledged the younger except for the occasional gruff, fleeting comment or command, so to see his older brother towering over him with an unreadable expression, was definitely a shock.

The smaller boy was stuck in awed silence, purple eyes shining with surprise and his whole body frozen and rigid as he tried to read his brother's emotions to no avail. Seiko wasn't dumb, he could see that Aki was clearly angry, by the scowl as plain as day on his face, but his eyes were clouded with something else too- something that he was trying to hide. Was he… scared? A pang of regret clenched his heart; he didn't mean to scare him or make him worried. He just wanted to help... Aki's leering didn't let up though, and if he held any sympathy, he was not showing it at the moment, just staring with a hard ferocity that Seiko hadn't seen in a long time and he couldn't ignore the pain in his chest for being the cause of his older brother's distress.

But, why was he scared? Did Akihiko think he was going to have a repeat of the- incident? Seiko gulped, swallowing down the thick lump in his throat at the thought. They didn't talk about it, hadn't talked about it ever, but Seiko had his suspicions, and it hurt him deeply to know that Akihiko thought of him this way, like he was this fragile little boy, a figurine made of ice that would shatter at any sign of a flame. He was a ticking time bomb in his eyes, a pathetic boy who couldn't do anything except mess up. And of course, Seiko messed up again, like usual and his heart ached. Why did he always do this? Why did he always disappoint Akihiko?

"I-I. I was trying to heal him..I'm sorry." Seiko's soft voice was was barely above a whisper, and Akihiko had to strain to hear him. But upon comprehending the boy's words, Akihiko's iron grip loosened, of course, Seiko didn't mean anything bad. It was just him trying to heal something. Akihiko dropped his wrists like he was burned, stepping backward quickly and turning his head away from Seiko, successfully hiding his face from the younger.

"Yeah, well, watch what you're doing, Seiko. You could've hurt yourself or destroyed the house. Doing stuff like that, using chakra or jutsu outside of training that you aren't used to is a bad idea. Don't be so stupid and reckless again. Now get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast."

It wasn't a nice suggestion, it was an order, something Seiko knew better than to disobey and he quickly nodded and timidly mumbled a "yes, Aki." The older male turned and stalked towards the bedroom door, sparing a last look at his brother before shutting the door behind him.

Seiko let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, picking up the now calm rabbit he buried his face in its soft fur. The little guy passively allowed the young boy to take comfort from it, and Seiko couldn't help but smile at the show of trust the animal was showing him.

"Thank you, for letting me heal you" He mumbled before setting the rabbit down to follow his brother's orders.

Once downstairs, he offered a shy nod to his brother before sitting down to eat breakfast. It was quiet and stilted, Aki didn't say anything, and Seiko was too nervous to speak. Breakfast ended quickly.

He helped his brother finish the dishes, before quickly heading up to his room again with a stunted "excuse me," not that his brother would acknowledge it, and that thought made Seiko wilt just a bit.

When he had retreated to his room, he took a deep breath to calm himself before he moved to grab his bag, ready for the academy. A metallic glint caught his eye, however, and with a start, he remembered that he was a Genin and that today… today he would receive a team, and a sensei.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Seiko picked up the plate, the insignia denoting his loyalty etched into the metal with perfect precision. Such a small thing, yet it weighed so much. He still couldn't believe he had passed the final exam, despite the proof in his hands. The purple-eyed boy couldn't help feel a mix of pride and trepidation.

He had passed, he was strong enough to represent his village, to serve and protect Konohagakure. But… what if he messes up? What if it turns out he's only strong enough to be a Genin? Will his teammates like him? Would his sensei take one look at him and send him back?

Shaking his head, Seiko tied his new forehead protector in the usual position, on the forehead. Tying the ends of the cloth behind his head, he silently made a vow.

'With the insignia of Konoha I now hold, I will not fail my team. They will be able to depend on me! I don't care how hard I have to train, or how long! I will be able to stand by them with pride. I will not fail Konoha!'

He laughed a little at how dramatic that sounded, even in his head, but he felt something settle in him. He was still nervous, but it wasn't as bad as before. More an eager restlessness.

Seiko just hoped he could live up to his promise…

 **00000**

"-And don't ever bother coming back you sorry little brat or your parents will hear about this!" A bellowing middle-aged man stood in the doorway of his barbecue restaurant, angrily shaking his fist in the air with a furious huff.

A thick stream of dark smoke almost completely shadowed his figure as it poured out through the windows and open doorway along with what little customers he had as they pushed their way through his frame out out into the fresh air, gasping and coughing while shooting the boy horrible looks. Sora almost missed the firm glare of hatred and deep curl of his lips from being coated by a thick layer of soot on his pudgy face that equally covered his apron and singed his receding hairline.

"Suck it old man! Don't be so damn stingy next time!" He called back; the blue-eyed twelve-year-old didn't even bother to hide his cocky amusement as wild laughter tumbled from his lips while he swiftly dodged the wooden cooking paddle that was thrown his direction to quickly raced away down the crowded streets of the urban city.

Civilians glared and shouted at him as he pushed through and barreled over them without a single care, not even bothering to send them a word of apology. They should've moved themselves out of the way if they didn't want to get ran over. The streets were crowded enough as is without annoying people taking their damn time creeping down the road. He didn't have that kind of time to spare on them; they weren't worth it.

When he was safely two blocks away, Sora's sprinting slowed down to a lazy stroll and preoccupied himself with cursing the shop owner and his barbeque in his mind. What an idiot, that guy deserved what he got, and it only helped that he was such an ass. Maybe next time he wouldn't be stingy! What kind of service was that anyways? Yeah, maybe he didn't have the absolute total of yen to pay for his meal but come on! That's no reason to kick him out. He was a paying customer for fuck's sake! Damn selfish old man. Sora murmured to himself as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black gakuran trousers and continued to trek down the street.

The following silence put his mind at ease, causing a warm comfort to rush over him and instead his thoughts drifted to what was to come. He would head to the academy with Mirai like usual, they would talk about random shit to waste time, and the Hyuuga would, of course, turn his nose up and pretend to be above him but wouldn't hesitate to jump into a verbal match of dry wit. Then, once they finally made it to their classroom, they would find out their fates. Great, just the kind of day he wanted. Why couldn't it just be some easy and lame free lesson, where they could sit at their desks and independent study? Well, more like him drooling all over his notebook and catching up on some much-needed sleep. But hey, that's technically good for you right? And their teachers worried about their health so they shouldn't mind him taking a nap instead today.

Up ahead was a quaint tea shop, it was rarely busy this time of morning, but it always seemed to be overflowing with life. The color scheme was comforting neutrals, the base being wood, with wooden benches, stools and tables adorned with simple tablecloths. The walls were painted a deep green, paired with pale pink curtains and flower boxes on every windowsill. The owner and operator, a kind woman in her mid-thirties with long brown curls and gentle hazel eyes never lacked an energetic disposition as she moved about, brewing teas and making pastries while humming happily to herself. The flowery aromas that wafted out of the cracked windows mixed with the cheerful, almost motherly greetings of the shopkeeper was soothing to him in a way. This was one of the reasons why he always waited here before heading off to the academy.

The boy lazily pulled his hands from his pockets and ran rough fingers through his pin-straight blonde strands, all the way to the black dyed tips, then casually leaned against the building. He grinned brightly when the woman waved his way and then went about her business as usual. Now, where the hell was he? You would think someone as punctual with a huge stick up his ass as Hyuuga would be here already. They needed to make it on time if they didn't want to get scolded on such an important day as this. He was still tired from having to stay after class yesterday to clean out the old supply closet in the classroom for fighting. God, it was just so much work… even the thought was cringeworthy. He hadn't been able to trick anyone into doing it for him, and he was still a little pissed about it, but that was the end of it. So what if he was technically at fault, that kid deserved way more than that little punch in the mouth, but for some ungodly reason, they weren't allowed to get into fights in a ninja academy. Would would've thought?

Sora's attention was brought back to reality when he heard someone clear their throat. Blue eyes snapped up to meet milky, opalescent irises crinkling in amusement. Thanks to his ninja mask concealing the lower half of his face, the only way that Sora knew he was smiling was because of the small, barely present laugh lines next to his haunting eyes. Long onyx hair cascaded down his back, thrown over his shoulders and out of his way, proudly displaying the Konoha logo on the front of his white shirt, but covering the Hyuuga symbol on the back. His hands were stuffed in his black cargo shorts with casual, almost cool disinterest. To anyone else that looked on the two might assume they were annoyed with each other's existence, maybe even think they were enemies with the way Sora was scowling at the raven-haired boy, shoulders tensed and squared, with Mirai's own posture cold and closed off but for some messed up reason they were friends.

"Well, well, Matsui. Daydreaming are we? Maybe about a certain brunette teamaker, hmm? You know the one - two to three times your age, average height with some pretty nice curves-" Sarcasm dripped from Mirai's even tone, the words meant to strike a reaction and both of them knew that he was right on the money when Sora's scowl deepened. There wasn't a single doubt in the Hyuuga's mind that the two-toned haired boy would throw a bitch fit like usual, only enticing Mirai's amusement. Oh, the joys of friendship. And as if clockwork, the blue-eyed boy reacted.

The boy moved quickly, shoving his hand over Mirai's mask-covered mouth and frantically threw a look over his shoulder at the unassuming shopkeeper who stood behind the counter, stirring some kind of batter in a bowl with a wooden spoon. After confirming her concentration was elsewhere, Sora's shoulder visible relaxed.

"Damn you, shut your mouth she might hear you! You asshole, you know it was one dream, okay- one! And a guy can't help what comes to him in his unconsciousness. You're the worst fucking friend ever. See if I ever tell you shit again." Sora hissed, his eyes were sharp and his words even sharper but to his endless annoyment, Mirai just snorted and rolled his eyes.

Mirai reached up a pale hand and pushed the other's own hand away from his mouth, then turned and started walking up the street. Sora, jumpstarting his legs to catch up and fell into step beside his counterpart.

"Uhh huh, sure. Just one dream, right… Whatever you say, Sora," The blonde boy felt a vein in his head throb at the other boy's chuckles but rigidly refused to punch him. Damn it, if he hadn't of promised Iruka-Sensei that he wouldn't get into another fight for at least a day then he would deck this piece of shit he called a friend.

"Like you're one to fucking talk! You're the biggest pervert I know! Who got caught staring at Kohaku's chest the other day in class and had to wear a handprint across his face for the rest of the day? I know for a fact that it wasn't me, that's for sure," Sora laughed loudly, his voice echoing around the busy street and seemed only to get louder when Mirai narrowed his eyes.

Sora snorted when even his own laughter gained the attention of several annoyed housewives in a flock, passing by on their way to do some early grocery shopping. It wasn't hard to notice the quick movements of the quartet clutching their purses to their fronts, in a fruitless attempt to guard their wallets against the raving two-toned haired boy and the passive Hyuuga, who, unknownst to the group, didn't give a single fuck about them. He was used to this though, the glares and harsh whispers, the judgment that held steadfast in their heated gazes. He couldn't blame them though, with all of the mischief he got up to, it was to be expected now, but the pang of irritation he felt in his gut was as real as the scowls painted on the older women's faces.

Sometimes, it just got old. All of the damn pettiness was the least of Sora's concern. It was as if just the sight of him ruffled all of the old, jewel wearing, perfume drenched, uppercrust hags feathers. His appearance seemed to scream trouble, which he didn't really get. I mean, what's so wrong with dyeing your hair and not always tucking in his shirt into his trousers?

Hmph, housewives. They're always so damn ruthless.

Sora leaned back on his heels and lazily lifted a palm upwards, curling his fingers and shooting his middle finger proudly up into the air for the world to see and see they did. Mirai rolled his eyes at the triumphant smirk that curled onto Sora's angular face as the women gasped and spluttered, quickly bustling down the street and away from the boy.

"It isn't my fault that she's starting to fill out nicely," the Hyuuga murmured, eyes trailing after the scandalized ladies with indifferent detachment.

"My point exactly, perv! You deserved way more than her just slapping you with the rage of a thousand demons. You're lucky she didn't stab you with one of her many weapons in that precious collection of hers."

Mirai shrugged his shoulders in disinterest as Sora cursed him. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary; Sora would pretend to be annoyed and exasperated with the other while Mirai made the occasional snarky quip. This was the usual routine between friends, something that the two didn't have to grasp for or even think about. Their dynamic was comfortable. To others, they may seem like an odd pair, two who couldn't get along for all of the money in the world, with Sora's haughty and foolhardy nature and Mirai's laid back sarcasm, but low and behold, the two had their ups and downs, but they were closer than most. But, what their peers didn't know, wouldn't hurt them. And it made for one hell of an amusing friendship to see the looks of surprise on their classmates' faces.

The two continued their playful banter while rounding the streets and pathways of Konoha until the secure gates of the academy came into sight. Sora and Mirai easily fit in with the throng of students making their way up through the gate and across the school grounds to the twin doors. They walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally brushing with their close proximity but neither boy said anything. Laughter and chatter flooded the crowded grounds from every angle, children excitedly buzzing with the thought of what was to come, the big day.

His heart beat a steady rhythm in his chest, but a strange churning burned in his stomach. Nerves maybe? What the hell did he have to be nervous about? It was just a group of people he would spend the next several years of his life with… That's not a big deal.

Mirai didn't seem to be anxious in the slightest to the other boy, but honestly, that wasn't saying much because the Hyuuga was almost always uninterested in just about anything and everything that wasn't girls or training.

Sora kept his lips pressed into a thin line as he followed the darker haired male up the steps and over the threshold of the academy. After a short trip down the hallway on the first floor, both boys skirted passed their peers and into what had been their designated classroom.

The two boys eyes met for a split second, a silent acknowledgment before Mirai nodded his head in farewell, shoving his hands in his shorts as he turned and disappeared in the direction of his assigned seat. Well, it was time, he guessed, to take his own seat. Not a second went by before Sora carefully bounded up the steps of the many rows of seats until he reached the middle, where he walked the short distance to his seat and plopped down onto the worn wood of the familiar bench.

From his spot, he could see the rest of his classmates lingering below, closer to the teacher's desk in small groups as they chatted animatedly with one another. Girls with their hair all done up with calculation, best outfits on display and hopeful gleams in their eyes and boys with anxious jitters being held back by false cockiness and boasting smiles. Everyone went out of their way to look their best, but it was all in vein. However, Sora's mind was elsewhere, far away from the crowded classroom in the academy, his eyes glued to the glass of the window on his left, peering out as if he could see all of the world.

 _'Well, it's the day you've been waiting for, mom and dad - my dear family and siblings. Hope I'll make you motherfuckers proud.'_

The blonde's bitter thoughts cut through any excitement he may have felt. The hardening of his heart and the tear in his lungs kept him alert, ready and waiting. But dammit, he wasn't going to let them get him down. Today was his day. Because he would make it his own and he would be fucking proud of his damn self. So bring it on, motherfuckers. Let's make a damn team.

 **00000**

 **Please ignore the worst chapter EVER. MY GOD THIS IS EMBARRASSING! Ugh. Well this is not the best work I've ever done and I don't really like the outcome but the next part to the chapter will be way better and Outcast and I will definitely be editing this later on. Sorry you guys, I hope you don't hate us now XD I hope you're all doing well and I can't wait to hear from everyone again! Thank you!**


	6. Update

So hello again everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and enjoy another new year! I just wanted to let you guys have a quick update of what's been happening and why I'm taking so freaking long to update. As you all know, I've been sick, and that was long and awful, and I'm glad it's over with. I've never stayed in the hospital so long in my life. Well, a few weeks ago, my dad started feeling really bad, and I was worried that maybe he was also getting sick from being around me. Weeks progressed, and it seemed like nothing was changing, so we decided to take him to the hospital against his wishes. The doctors started running test and discovered something strange looking in his lungs and informed us that it looks like there's a chance of him having cancer, It's a big possibility according to the doctors now. So I've been trying to deal with that as well as working extra shifts for the holidays and it's been stressful.

I'm so sorry for being on and off again. I know I'm not being the most reliable author ever and I want to apologize to everyone who reads my writing and has to put up with me. This was definitely stressful and frustrating, especially with all of this taking place around the holidays. We don't really know what to expect right now, and my dad is trying to stay positive and doesn't want us to worry, but, he's my dad, so of course, I'm going to worry about him. We're hoping for some positive results on the next tests that have to be executed. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting, I didn't expect all of this to happen.

I'm still invested in this story, and I don't plan on putting it on hold or anything, but I'd like to wait until we know more about my dad before I continue updating. Thank you all for reading, I really can't express how grateful I am to have such supportive and amazing readers and friends on this site. You all make my day better, and I'm so glad we can share our interests here with one another. I'll update as soon as I can, thank you for being patient with me and I understand entirely if you wish to drop your OC from this story.

\- Wings


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